This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2001-267834 filed on Sep. 4, 2001 and 2002-252481 filed on Aug. 30, 2002, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to an information processing system, a terminal apparatus, a method for information processing, an information processing program, and a memory storage medium into which is stored a computer-readable information processing program, all of which are aimed at providing a service using electronic map information.
In the past, a known information processing system existed which provided a service using electronic map information, wherein a user searched for a desired destination location by operating a telecommunication terminal, the position of the extracted destination location being verifiable on an electronic map.
Such information processing systems of the past, however, were so-called provider-driven systems, in which basically all that could be done was to verify on the electronic map the position of stores and the like, which had been previously categorized by search keywords by the service provider. In such systems of the past, therefore, it was not possible, for example, to record information with regard to an arbitrary location on the electronic map, or to have the position at which information was stored verified later, thereby providing a service that suited the action patterns of the user.
Accordingly, in consideration of the above-noted problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing system, a terminal apparatus, a method for information processing, an information processing program, and a memory storage medium into which is stored a computer-readable information processing program, all of which provide a service using electronic map information that its suitable to the action patterns of a user.
In the present invention, a server apparatus providing a service using electronic map information has a spot information database into which is stored information with regard to an arbitrary location on an electronic map. The server apparatus extracts information from the spot information database to satisfy search conditions sent from a terminal apparatus, and sends the extracted information to the terminal apparatus.
According to the present invention as noted above, it is possible for a user to store information with regard to an arbitrary location on the electronic map into the spot information database and to view information that had been stored in the spot information database by specifying search conditions later, thereby providing a service using electronic map information that is suitable to the user""s action patterns.